Dads promised Facebook fans the full birth experience or at least as close as they can get

We loved the idea of three men wearing "empathy bellies" for a month to try to gain an understanding of what it's like to be pregnant. Let's face it, it's as close as they're ever going to get to the real thing so good on them for giving it a go.

After a month of wearing the false bumps (admittedly only a fraction of the time women have to carry real, live, growing. moving babies around in their uteri) Jason Bramley wrote, "I no longer have to wear this blasted pregnancy suit. I never want to see it again quite frankly."

During their month-long experiment, Bramley and his fellow publishing directors Steve Hanson and Jonny Biggins wore 33-pound pregnancy suits to honour Mother's Day and all the women who go through pregnancy. The suits also had heavy false breasts and the bump itself was designed to put pressure on the bladder, stomach and lungs, cause abdominal distention and make it difficult to get comfortable. The trio wore the suits at all times — to work, to the pub and to bed.

Now the dads have taken the next step, hooking themselves up to a machine that sends out electric shocks to try to experience labour pains.

The three "pregnant dads" promised to try a birth simulator if they reached 6,000 likes on their Facebook page and they kept their side of the bargain. Here's how they handled it:

Video credit: tboe curator/YouTube

Hanson wrote of his experience on the 3 Pregnant Dads blog: "I found a (slightly odd) way of expressing to my mum and wife just how much I admire and love them. Of course I could have just told them, of course I could have just made them a cup of tea, or bought a big bunch flowers with a nice loving note attached. I didn't. Instead I did this, and I'm very happy I did. Every last moaning moment of it."